Thunder Road Theatre are returning with their show Shock Horror for a third outing due to popular demand.
Shock Horror has been described as Stranger Things meets The Woman in Black; inspired by classic theatre ghost stories and cinema’s greatest frights, the show is a chilling journey into a haunted past. Combining live performance and big-screen action, it’s full of shivers, shrieks and shocking revelations.
Herbert grew up in the Metropol. The eerie old cinema was his playground and prison – a place where endless late-night horror films were his only window to the world. Forbidden from leaving by his disturbed parents, Herbert hid in its shadows and gorged on its movies. But what lurked in the Metropol’s darkness? And how did he manage to escape? Now Herbert’s back at the abandoned cinema, searching for answers to long-buried questions. But for him, and for you, the real horror has only just begun…
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| Photo by Marc Brenner |
Shock Horror opens in September at Perth Theatre, then tours to the Swansea Grand Theatre, Roses Theatre (Tewkesbury), Uppingham Theatre, Northern Stage (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), Connaught Theatre (Worthing), Key Theatre (Peterborough), Macready Theatre (Rugby), Watford Palace Theatre, Edge Hill Arts Centre (Ormskirk), BEAM Hertford, concluding at Queens Theatre (Barnstaple) in November.
The cast includes Alex Moran (War Horse, National Theatre; Quality Street UK Tour, Northern Broadsides) as Herbert, Chloe Proctor (Emmerdale, ITV; Doctors, BBC) as Norma, Joseph Carter as Jack (Hollyoaks, Channel Four; Yizkor, New Vic Theatre; 100 Years On, Everyman Theatre) and Chris Blackwood as Karras (Miss Julie, Gulbenkian Arts Centre; The Little Mermaid, Kings Theatre).
Shock Horror is written and directed by Yorkshire-based playwright and filmmaker, Ryan Simons (Eastenders, BBC; Emmerdale, ITV).
Shock Horror is written and directed by Yorkshire-based playwright and filmmaker, Ryan Simons (Eastenders, BBC; Emmerdale, ITV).
We sat down with actor Alex Moran and writer Ryan Simons to learn more.
Where did your arts career begin?
Alex: At The Lowry (Studio) in Manchester. A one-man show called Tales From The Blackjack that (rather surprisingly) was very well received and won quite a few things along the way. I’d never been more terrified on stage than I was then - performing on my own. But it was a fantastic showcase and opened the door to the National Theatre not too long after.
Alex: At The Lowry (Studio) in Manchester. A one-man show called Tales From The Blackjack that (rather surprisingly) was very well received and won quite a few things along the way. I’d never been more terrified on stage than I was then - performing on my own. But it was a fantastic showcase and opened the door to the National Theatre not too long after.
Ryan: Playing a donkey in the school nativity. Ever since then, it was the arts for me.
Were there any people or performances that inspired your career path?
Alex: James McAvoy in Three Days Of Rain. Totally blew me away. And the first time I saw The Woman In Black at the Fortune when I was a teenager. The how, what and why I should make my own theatre was answered immediately.
Ryan: John Carpenter was a big inspiration with films like Halloween and The Thing. I grew up in working class Derbyshire and theatre wasn't on the menu very much. Instead, I immersed myself in film, soaking up the classics of 80s horror which is where I developed my love of all things scary.
What can you tell me about Shock Horror: A Ghost Story and your roles on the show?
Alex: It’s set in a haunted cinema called The Metropol. A once proud horror screening venue now abandoned, for reasons you will find out if you watch it! I play Herbert, he grew up in the cinema with his parents and is now back to wake his painful childhood memories from the dead.
Alex: It’s set in a haunted cinema called The Metropol. A once proud horror screening venue now abandoned, for reasons you will find out if you watch it! I play Herbert, he grew up in the cinema with his parents and is now back to wake his painful childhood memories from the dead.
Ryan: Shock Horror is a thrilling story with a chilling atmosphere. At the heart of it is a question of influence, and nature vs nurture.
I'm the writer, director (both stage and screen) and also the editor. I started my career as an actor before moving behind the camera to write and direct low-budget horror feature films. That experience has helped me give Shock Horror the cinematic flavour that makes it so unique.
What inspired you to write the show?
Ryan: Alex asked me to write a script that blended horror films with horror theatre. I tapped into the work of Hitchcock, Kubrick and many more to create a story of a horror obsessed boy who lives in a crumbling cinema... with something whispering in his ear at night.
Ryan: Alex asked me to write a script that blended horror films with horror theatre. I tapped into the work of Hitchcock, Kubrick and many more to create a story of a horror obsessed boy who lives in a crumbling cinema... with something whispering in his ear at night.
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| Photo by Marc Brenner |
What attracted you to the show and role?
Alex: I threw a very loose idea for a horror show with multimedia at Ryan (Writer/Director) and even though he knew it wouldn’t be easy, he stuck with it and created something very, very special. The role of Herbert was written for me, which is a unique experience and a very proud feeling too.
How have you approached the development of the show?
Ryan: From the start we wanted a gripping story with characters that do bad things, for what they think - are the right reasons. The show has grown each time it tours, fine tuning the script, perfecting the scares and increasing the sense of dread.
Ryan: From the start we wanted a gripping story with characters that do bad things, for what they think - are the right reasons. The show has grown each time it tours, fine tuning the script, perfecting the scares and increasing the sense of dread.
How have you been preparing for the run and finding the character?
Alex: Every year we’ve toured Shock Horror the story has evolved. Which isn’t easy when you have lines in your head that may have now been changed or even cut. You just have to start again from the beginning; watch a million horror movies (the fun part) and learn learn learn those lines until you’re sick of them (the not so fun part.)
Alex: Every year we’ve toured Shock Horror the story has evolved. Which isn’t easy when you have lines in your head that may have now been changed or even cut. You just have to start again from the beginning; watch a million horror movies (the fun part) and learn learn learn those lines until you’re sick of them (the not so fun part.)
What is your preparation like when you're directing a piece and does this change having written the production too?
Ryan: I always spend time looking at the script from every character's viewpoint. Everyone's the hero in their own story, complex characters make for a more dynamic production. I also break down the script into rises in tension and scares to keep an audience gripped.
Ryan: I always spend time looking at the script from every character's viewpoint. Everyone's the hero in their own story, complex characters make for a more dynamic production. I also break down the script into rises in tension and scares to keep an audience gripped.
Why do you believe ghost stories are so popular?
Alex: Put it simply… we like being scared. Ghost stories are a unique style of storytelling - they create excitement and tension rarely experienced when watching other genres. It’s also something we enjoy experiencing together with friends and family, that’s what I love about it most.
Alex: Put it simply… we like being scared. Ghost stories are a unique style of storytelling - they create excitement and tension rarely experienced when watching other genres. It’s also something we enjoy experiencing together with friends and family, that’s what I love about it most.
Ryan: We love being scared. For most of us, life is too safe. The old part of our brain craves the adrenaline we would have encountered on a daily basis when we first evolved. That's why we bungee jump, go on rollercoasters or sit in a theatre, waiting for something to make us jump in the dark!
What keeps you inspired?
Alex: Working with young people. This show was created to bring more teenagers into theatres and it’s done just that. Not only through its 2 years of shows but through the creative horror activities we run alongside it. Young people are exceptionally creative and we can’t wait to work with them again on tour this year.
Alex: Working with young people. This show was created to bring more teenagers into theatres and it’s done just that. Not only through its 2 years of shows but through the creative horror activities we run alongside it. Young people are exceptionally creative and we can’t wait to work with them again on tour this year.
Ryan: Learning. Whether that's a new illusion to perfect onstage, innovation in film production or new work by the many young people we work with, there's so much to be inspired by.
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| Photo by Marc Brenner |
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing Shock Horror: A Ghost Story?
Ryan: I hope they question why the characters in the show would do such terrible things and ask themselves if they would do the same. I also hope they keep can't their eyes off the stage until the play reaches its shocking conclusion!
Alex: We hope audiences fall in love with Herbert and his story, and also run out of the theatre screaming. If we can do both, I think we’ve done our job.
Shock Horror opens in September at Perth Theatre, then tours to the Swansea Grand Theatre, Roses Theatre (Tewkesbury), Uppingham Theatre, Northern Stage (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), Connaught Theatre (Worthing), Key Theatre (Peterborough), Macready Theatre (Rugby), Watford Palace Theatre, Edge Hill Arts Centre (Ormskirk), BEAM Hertford, concluding at Queens Theatre (Barnstaple) in November. Tickets are available from https://www.thunderroadtheatre.org/shockhorror
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